‘This stroke was sent…’: Stroke-related illness concepts and attendant health-seeking behaviours of educated Nigerians

Illness concepts affect health-seeking behaviours (HSB) which in turn can determine disease outcomes. Though there is evidence that stroke incidence is increasing even in low and middle income countries, there is no study of stroke-related illness concepts and HSB in Nigerians. Data from 960 educated Nigerians were analysed. Eight hundred and fifty four respondents (431 aged 20-40 years and 423 aged 41 years or older) of the 960 knew what a stroke was, and their data were analysed further. As much as 55% of them however did not know the warning signs of an impending stroke (and only 0.9% of those who claimed to know these signs correctly described any one of them). Twenty one percent of the population (and 36% of those who have had a stroke) believed spiritual events cause strokes; while 10% and 16% of the respondents (and 7% and 20% of those who have had a stroke) believed a prayer house and traditional healing home, respectively, were the best places to manage stroke cases. These data underscore the need to urgently embark on mass education and enlightenment campaigns aimed at correcting these poor stroke-related illness concepts and HSB.Keywords: health-seeking behaviour, illness concepts, Nigeria, stroke

Association between blood pressure and urinary electrolytes in a population of nonurban-dwelling Nigerians

Background: Little is known about the association between blood pressure and urinary electrolytes in young adult, nonurban-dwelling, sub-Saharan Africans. This study attempts to provide such data in a Nigerian population. Patients and Methods: Four hundred Nigerians (50% female) aged 19-40 years were studied. Their blood pressures (BPs), anthropometric variables, and overnight urinary sodium, and potassium concentrations (UNaC and UKC respectively) were measured using standard procedures. Associations between measures of BP and the other parameters were examined using appropriate statistical tools.Results: UNaC was correlated significantly with only diastolic BP (DBP) (r = +0.105, P = 0.037). Similarly, UNaC was significantly associated with DBP and mean BP (MBP) (b = +0.158, P = 0.018 and b = +0.155, P = 0.020, respectively). UKC was not associated with, nor correlated with, any measure of BP. There was no significant mean difference (P > 0.05) between the sexes for measures of BP and urinary electrolytes.Conclusion: Urinary sodium (but not potassium) concentration was weakly correlated with only DBP, and weakly associated with only DBP and MBP in the studied population. The results support (modestly) the hypothesis that dietary sodium intake may be related to elevated blood pressure

Simulation of heavy metal contamination of fresh water bodies: Toxic effects in the catfish and its amelioration with co-contamination with glyphosate

The toxic implications of fresh water contamination with zinc in the catfish, Clarias albopunctatus (Lamonte and Nicole, 1927), and the effect of a co-contamination with a sub-lethal dose of glyphosate (Roundup) was studied using the static bioassay model. Thirty six fish were divided into 3 equalgroups. Fish in Group 1 were placed in normal tap water, and served as the control group, while fish in Groups 2 and 3 were placed in water contaminated with ZnSO4 and ZnSO4 + glyphosate, respectively. The study lasted for96 hours (though sampling was done at the 48th hour). Biochemical markers of toxicity were measured and the fish liver and gill histology were studied using standard protocols. The results show that ZnSO4 was significantly toxicto the fish only after 96 hours. Co-contamination of the water with both toxicants was found to ameliorate the toxic effects of ZnSO4 significantly. The metal chelating property of glyphosate may be responsible for the observedattenuation of toxicity in the fish in Grou

Prostate disorders in an apparently normal Nigerian population 1: Prevalence

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) constitutes a lot of health burden for adult males. Prevalence statistics are well documented in the developed world, but not so well documented in Africa, especially in Nigeria. This study was therefore carried out to provide information on the prevalence of BPH in this locality. Adult males (aged forty years or older) who reside in Nsukka, Enugu State Nigeria, who had no apparentsymptoms of ill health, were used for the study. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) index was used to establish the presence of BPH, respondents’ choice of most troublesome symptom and respondents’ perception of their quality of life. The results show that 25.35% of the studied population had symptoms suggestive of BPH. The severity of symptoms was seen to increase with age. Therespondents regarded Nocturia as the most troublesome symptom of BPH, while storage symptoms were seen to be more troublesome than voiding symptoms. Also 18.91% of the studied population had poorquality of life, while 81.08% were satisfied with their quality of life. The prevalence of BPH in the studied population shows that one in four apparently normal men have BPH. This is comparable to figures from the developed world. Sadly the awareness of the problem in Nigeria is not comparable to that in the developed world. This calls for a concerted effort to reverse this trend. This would check the devastating effect of BPH on the quality of life of men and thereby enhance productivity

Variations in the prevalence of point (pre)hypertension in a Nigerian school-going adolescent population living in a semi-urban and an urban area

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypertension has been shown to start in early life and to track into adulthood. Detecting adolescents with hypertension and prehypertension will aid early intervention and reduce morbidity and mortality from the disorders. This study reports the point-prevalence of the two disorders in a semi-urban and an urban population of school-going adolescents in Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 843 adolescents from two places of domicile were studied. Their blood pressures and anthropometric indices were measured using standard protocol. Point-hypertension and point-prehypertension were defined with respect to each subject's gender, age and height. The prevalence of the disorders was calculated and reported age-wise and nutritional status-wise.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of point-prehypertension in the semi-urban area was 22.2% (20.7% for girls and 23.1% for boys) while it was 25.0% (21.8% for girls and 29.2% for boys) in the urban area. The prevalence of point-hypertension was 4.6% (4.1% for girls and 4.8% for boys) in the semi-urban area and 17.5% (18.0% for girls and 16.9% for boys) in the urban area. Point-prehypertension was not detected among the thin subjects of both places of domicile. The prevalence of point-prehypertension was similar in both the urban and semi-urban areas among the subjects who had normal BMI-for-age, and over-weight/obese subjects respectively. From the semi-urban to the urban area, the prevalence of point-hypertension increased approximately 3-folds among thin and normal BMI-for-age subjects, and 10-folds among overweight/obese subjects. Systolic hypertension was more preponderant in both the semi-urban and urban areas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prevalence of both disorders is considerably high in the studied populations. Urgent pediatric public health action is needed to address the situation.</p

Serum lipid profile and lipid pro-atherogenic indices of a cohort of Nigerian adults with varying glycemic and blood pressure phenotypes

Dyslipidemia is common in patients with Type 2 diabetes and those with hypertension. The lipid profile and lipid pro-atherogenic indices of subjects with varying levels of fasting blood glucose and blood pressuresmay be different and thus was studied. Standard clinical and anthropometric methods were used to determine/measure all necessary parameters. Data from 189 subjects (90 males), aged 22-84 years, who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Five glycemic/blood pressure phenotypes were defined, namely: hypoglycemic and normotensive (HN), hypoglycemic and hypertensive (HH), normoglycemic and hypertensive (NH), diabetic and normotensive (DN), and diabetic and hypertensive (DH) and their data compared to the control (normoglycemic and normotensive) group. Hypertensive subjects, irrespective of their fasting blood glucose levels had the worst lipid profile and had higher serum lipid pro-atherogenic indices compared to normotensive subjects. These lipid abnormalities were more prevalent within the older (.45 yearsold) and the overweight/obese subjects irrespective of sex. The lipid profile of hypertensive subjects should be monitored regularly and adjusted medically if necessary, irrespective of their fasting blood glucose level.Management of diabetes and hypertension (especially in this environment) should apart from targeting lipid abnormalities, emphasize therapeutic lifestyle changes that encourage weight loss

Prostate disorders in an apparently normal Nigerian population 2: Relationship with some biochemical parameters

Globally, prostate disorders constitute a lot of health concern for men. Early identification of risk factors and groups at risk minimizes the adverse effects of these disorders. The possible relationship between prostate disorders and parameters like age, blood group, Rhesus factor,haemoglobin genotype, serum total cholesterol level and fasting blood glucose concentration, in Nsukka was studied. A total of 101 apparently normal subjects who were not on prescription drugs and who did not have sex or prostatic massage at least two days before sampling were recruited for assays. Standard procedures were used for all the assays. There was no significant mean difference in the Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) means of the different groups, perparameter, (p>0.05), except for age where a significant mean difference (